Penang to Kuala Lumpur Business Class Train: recommended treat or a waste of money?

With an excellent standard class service available on the Penang to Kuala Lumpur train, is it worth paying extra for Business Class?

Fewer seats, personal TV screens, access to a pre-departure lounge and free food might seem like attractive perks, but is Business Class on the Penang to Kuala Lumpur train worth the extra money? Although many tourists do pay for the upgrade, it’s debateable whether there’s enough of a difference from Standard Class to justify the extra cost. We’ve travelled in both classes and there’s only one option we’d choose in the future; keep reading for our review of Business Class and why we think it’s a missed opportunity.

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Penang to Kuala Lumpur train on the ETS

READ: Penang to Kuala Lumpur train review

Ignore the plane, the best way to travel the 350km from Penang to Kuala Lumpur is onboard the ETS (Electric Train Service) train. Avoiding yet another airport, the train is the relaxing option, transporting you from the mainland town of Butterworth, directly into the centre of Kuala Lumpur at KL Sentral.

Standard class is an excellent product, with modern carriages, reasonable prices, access to a buffet cart and plenty of luggage storage. However, many travellers are tempted by the Business Class option, which offers fewer seats, free meals and lounge access.

The Penang to Kuala Lumpur ETS train runs six times per day, taking approximately four hours (some services are slightly faster or slower). Comprising of six carriages (five standard and one business class), the service is hugely popular and usually runs at capacity, especially on weekends and public holidays.

What is standard class like?

Thanks to recently updated rolling stock, the standard carriages are modern, clean and comfortable. With 50 or 60 seats in each one, there’s plenty of overhead storage space for smaller bags, plus larger luggage racks at the end of the carriage for suitcases and bigger bags.

If you’re travelling in a group of four, try to grab the block of seats positioned around a table, otherwise the seats are in pairs, half facing forwards and half backwards.

At your seats, there’s a folding tray table, recline button, footrest and power sockets. Even taller travellers should be comfortable in the seats, they always feel spacious and the (sometimes overpowering) air-conditioning keeps the carriage cool. There is a slightly annoying TV screen positioned on the ceiling that endlessly repeats advertising programming, and a more useful information screen at the end of each carriage so you can keep track of progress and speed.

If you’re in need of food or drink, there’s a bistro in Coach C, selling decent meals for RM15 and the usual selection of chocolate bars, crisps and soft drinks (cash or e-wallets only).

On the whole, most travellers enjoy travelling in standard class and the journey to/from KL to Penang passes by quickly.

How to book Business Class tickets

Tickets are best booked using the excellent Baolau site, from where you can also check timetables, route and prices. Make sure you select ‘Business Seat’ or (sometimes) ‘Premier Class Seat’ from the ticket options.

Click here to book tickets using Baolau or use the handy form below.

Price difference to Business Class

The ETS train has several price levels, depending how often it stops. The standard class fares range from RM87 to RM97.

If you decide to book business class, the price increases to RM160 or RM168, which is around 80% extra. It’s a significant amount and as you’ll see, in our opinion, it’s not really worth it.

Business Class Lounge at Butterworth

The experience starts well with access to the business class lounge at Butterworth (you also have access to the Ruby Lounge at KL Sentral if your journey starts there). The standard class waiting area at Butterworth station isn’t the best experience and often feels quite crowded and sweaty, so it’s a relief to disappear behind the frosted windows into the air-conditioned business class lounge.

Once inside, it’s a fairly small room but has enough space for the (maximum) 36 passengers who’ve booked business class tickets for the next departure. With views across the port of Butterworth and free tea/coffee/water, it’s a pleasant place to wait before you jump onboard. A good start.

On-board business class experience

The boarding experience for Business Class is exactly the same as Standard Class, so you still need to descend via the same set of stairs and wait on the same platform as everyone else until the train arrives. If you’re heading south, Coach A is at the front of the train (or at the back of the train when travelling north).

First experiences of the business class carriage (especially if you’ve already travelled standard class) is likely to be underwhelming. It doesn’t feel much different to standard class: the upholstery is the same, the windows are the same, the luggage racks and signage are all the same. The only difference is the seating layout, which is 1 by 2, rather than 2 by 2. In theory, this should equate to greater levels of comfort, but it doesn’t quite seem to work out like that.

The seats have a stowaway table in one armrest and a TV screen in the other, which reduces the width of the seat. These rigid sides make the seats feel more cramped and uncomfortable, as if you’re boxed or wedged in. If you factor in the headrest, which is inadequate and badly-designed, the seats don’t have a premium feel to them at all.

In theory, the TV shows online films and programmes, but it relies on the onboard WIFI, which is temperamental and prone to dropping out during the journey. It’s a nice idea, we’re just unsure how useful it is when (almost) everyone has access to online content on their own device nowadays.

Free food and drinks

One of the apparent benefits of Business Class is the free food and drink, but you should manage your expectations before the food arrives. A few minutes into the journey, a trolley is pushed down the aisle to serve instant tea/coffee (with powdered creamer) and a small snack box (apple juice, muffin and pack of peanuts). The quality is totally fine, very similar to what you’d expect on a budget airline, but certainly nothing special.

Nothing else appears until the main meal, served a few hours into the trip. This also wasn’t anything special: a few lukewarm slices of chicken, vegetables and rice, with a bottle of water. It just all feels a little make-do and the meals available in the bistro (costing RM15) are tastier, plus you have the choice of several options.

If you’re wavering on whether to book Business Class tickets, and are using the free food as the deciding factor, it’d be a mistake. The food isn’t of high enough quality to justify the cost of the business class seats, and you’d be better off either having a meal in Penang before you depart, waiting until you arrive in KL to eat, or buy food from the bistro onboard.

Comfort in the business class carriage

It’s difficult to fully explain why, but the Business Class carriage felt much less comfortable than you might expect, and there wasn’t a noticeable difference between Standard Class, even though there were fewer seats.

The stowaway TV and table might have seemed like a good idea, but the knock-on effect is for the seats to feel rigid and narrower than they should. Most people nowadays have their own mobile phone or tablet, so a TV is less of a benefit, and a tray that folds out from the seat in front might work better.

The carriage felt less spacious, with many of the seats not lining up properly with the windows, leading to restricted views and a slightly claustrophobic feel. Perhaps we were expecting too much, but our previous journeys on standard class felt more relaxing and enjoyable.

Arrival into KL Sentral

If you’re arriving into KL Sentral from the north, the Business Class carriage lines up nicely with the exit escalators, allowing for a quick getaway for your onward journey. Entry to the business class lounge is only intended for departing passengers, so once you’ve disembarked, your Business Class ticket offers no further rewards or advantages.

Final thoughts – is it worth paying extra?

No, it’s not worth paying extra for Business Class seats on the ETS train from Butterworth to Kuala Lumpur’s Sentral station. But that’s more of a reflection of the quality of Standard Class than a criticism of the Business Class carriage.

It’s pleasant enough receiving a free meal and TV access, but they’re certainly not reasons to book the ticket on their own. The seat headrest is one of the worst designed items in train history and, if you have a long body, prepare for neck ache once you pull into KL.

We’d suggest saving the RM80 fare difference, buy yourself a RM15 meal from the bistro, and enjoy the excellent standard class instead.